Martin FX640 light acoustic guitar strings use a thinner core wire to deliver greater player control with sharp attack, increased flexibility and improved harmonic sustain. Martin FX strings have a wrap that is constructed of 80/20 bronze and the core wire is Martin's platinum: high carbon steel with special zinc flashing. Recommended for lead acoustic rock and fingerstyle playing styles.

80/20 Bronze

This alloy is comprised of 80% copper and 20% zinc. It is popular for acoustic strings and provides a very brilliant tone when they are initially put on the guitar and mellow over time.

Platinum

High carbon steel with special zinc flashing that gives the wire better tensile properties. Martin uses platinum on the FX string sets to increase the durability and improve harmonic sustain.

It has been said that the guitar becomes a mini orchestra when played fingerstyle. In fingerstyle's simplistic form, the thumb is setting the beat and the fingers are working through the melody. While that sounds rather basic, it is rather challenging to master. Despite all the instruction and guidance on fingerstyle playing, very little focus has been given to the string where the sound is truly initiated. So, Martin started from scratch in their string research facility and worked with several fingerstyle groups to develop a string that would be more responsive to fingerstyle methods. After creating many samples in the lab and working with the fingerstyle groups, they determined that a fingerstyle string should deliver crisp, clear notes with little overtone and light sustain. The string needs to be flexible and almost soft to the touch, but very controllable. And, since fingerstyle playing is not a forceful style, the string needs to deliver the proper resonance and vibration to the top to create the right volume.

The end result: Martin FX Flexible Core, available in 80/20 Bronze for maximum brilliance out of the box, and 92/8 Phosphor Bronze for warmth and consistent brilliance. The silvered steel plain strings provide the traditional tone and longevity you expect from Martin. The zinc flashed thinner core wire and thicker wrap wire increase the resonance and control while creating a more flexible string. Ultra-pure high tensile strength steel has been chosen to maximize the durability of the string.

Martin asked a member of the Michigan Fingerstyle Guitar Society to give them his feedback on the Martin FX strings. Here is Dave Wodnicki's experience: "The new Martin FX strings are truly a great set of wires. On the sound, the tone is clear/warm and they ring very nicely. On the feel, great to the touch but what I really noticed was that when I played up above the 7th fret all the way up to the 14th, it took less effort to make the chords, runs and bass lines. I was able to move around a bit easier and the control was very solid, which means I had plenty of reserve energy for expression. That's exactly what I like because there is a lot of music up there when you can get some real power into the phrasing and sustain it. The Martin FX Phosphor Bronze strings are perfect for fingerstyle. Nice work, guys!"

C. F. Martin & Co., Est. 1833 remains one of the longest surviving family owned and operated manufacturers in the world. Six generations of the Martin family have been dedicated to the company's products, their superbly well-crafted acoustic instruments and strings.

Experience Martin tone and craftsmanship through their strings. Call or click today to order.

I use these on my Big baby Taylor acoustic. I have tried most other brands & keep coming back to these. I am a hard player so I needed strings that would not break, easy on the fingers ,keep their tone & not break my wallet. These are the best I have used.

These light gauge strings have the flexibility of extra light strings without the tendency to buzz and be limited in volume. The base tones are clear and the treble strong and bright. Makes the old Yamaha sound like a new guitar! I play thumb and finger style without any picks, and this is the perfect string.

For serious fingerstyle, these FX strings are vastly superior to regular Martins. Having the right tension makes certain moves doable, which otherwise would be quite difficult; it makes me a better player. Regular Martins are only good for strumming chords.

To me, the FX strings don't sound quite as good as Elixer Nanoweb 80/20's, and they certainly don't last as long, but they also don't cost as much. Elixers are great for relatively simple stuff (e.g. El McMeen's music; and he uses them, for good reason) but for more challenging pieces (e.g. Pierre Bensusan's music) they're just too darn slippery.

These FX strings are a good compromise between playability (excellent), sound quality (not bad), string life (average), and cost (good).

I used Martin Marquis for many years, bought some Martin FX 80/20's for my students to try, was quite surprised that not only are they easier on my fingers, but they hold their bright/resonant sound quite awhile for a lower priced uncoated string. Liked them so much I bought some sets for myself.

I play electric mostly, but still spend a lot of time on an acoustic. If you are a lead player, and you want to take some of your chops natural, these strings are a very good compromise between tone and ease of play. The SPs still sound better in my opinion, deeper, but the way you can bend the FX allows a much greater degree of expression, without causing the arthritis in the hands to flare up! Don't want to give the wrong impression, they sound great, and if you play electro-acoustic, this is a no-brainer for an electric-guitar-centric player. I like them, a lot. I keep a set of SPs on a separate guitar if I am going acoustic and doing mainly rhythm.

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